Information processing apparatus, information processing method, eyewear terminal, and authentication system

ABSTRACT

There is provided an information processing apparatus including a display control unit configured to, when an authentication image including an iris of an eye of a user is obtained, cause a display unit to display an authentication UI for obtaining an authentication image with which it is easy to perform iris authentication.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Priority PatentApplication JP 2014-044135 filed Mar. 6, 2014, the entire contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to information processing apparatuses,information processing methods, eyewear terminals, and authenticationsystems which perform display processing for iris authentication.

Among authentication techniques of identifying an individual is irisauthentication, which is a technique of biometric authentication. Irisauthentication is a technique of identifying an individual using theannular pattern of the iris, which surrounds the pupil of the eye, andallowing for highly accurate authentication. Iris authentication is, forexample, used in authentication for entering a room or logging on to acomputer, etc., and in addition, authentication for using a wearableterminal, which is worn by the user when it is used.

For iris authentication, the pupil of a user's eye needs to be correctlyrecognized. For example, JP 2010-267121A describes a technique ofincreasing the area of the iris whose image is captured, by providing aline-of-sight directing means above the optical axis of a camera whichis used to capture an image of the iris of a user so that the line ofsight of the user is reliably directed upward with respect to theoptical axis of the camera.

SUMMARY

However, the environment in which the image of the iris is capturedvaries depending on illumination conditions, etc. In particular, in thecase of iris authentication for a wearable terminal, the authenticationprocess may be performed in an outdoor environment, and therefore, theimage of the iris is not necessarily clearly captured all the time dueto the influence of sunlight, reflected light, etc. Therefore, there isa demand for stable authentication accuracy in various environments.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is providedan information processing apparatus including a display control unitconfigured to, when an authentication image including an iris of an eyeof a user is obtained, cause a display unit to display an authenticationUI for obtaining an authentication image with which it is easy toperform iris authentication.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided an eyewear terminal including an imaging unit configured toobtain an authentication image including an iris of an eye of a user, adisplay unit configured to cover at least one of eyes of a user, and adisplay control unit configured to, when the authentication image isobtained, cause the display unit to display an authentication UI forobtaining an authentication image with which it is easy to perform irisauthentication.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided an information processing method including causing, by adisplay control unit, when an authentication image including an iris ofan eye of a user is obtained, a display unit to display anauthentication UI for obtaining an authentication image with which it iseasy to perform iris authentication.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided an authentication system including a device including animaging unit configured to obtain an authentication image including aniris of an eye of a user, and a display unit configured to cover atleast one of eyes of the user, and an information processing apparatusincluding an authentication unit configured to perform irisauthentication using the obtained iris of the authentication image, anda display control unit configured to, when the authentication image isobtained, cause the display unit of the device to display anauthentication UI for obtaining an authentication image with which it iseasy to perform iris authentication.

According to the present disclosure, when an authentication image of theiris of a user's eye is obtained, the authentication UI is displayed onthe display unit to control the size of the pupil of the user. Theauthentication image thus obtained makes it easier to perform irisauthentication, leading to an increase in authentication accuracy.

Note that the effects described above are not necessarily limited, andalong with or instead of the effects, any effect that is desired to beintroduced in the present specification or other effects that can beexpected from the present specification may be exhibited.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for outlining changes in UI display iniris authentication according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of anauthentication system according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example authentication processaccording to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example authentication UIaccording to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of changing the display of anauthentication UI according to the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example change in thedisplay of an authentication UI, where the depth of the authenticationUI is changed;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example change in thedisplay of an authentication UI, where the shape of the authenticationUI is changed;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example change in thedisplay of an authentication UI, where the shape of the authenticationUI is changed by morphing;

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example change in thedisplay of an authentication UI, where the authentication UI is moved;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example change in thedisplay of an authentication UI, where the authentication UI is movedupward;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example change in thedisplay of an authentication UI, where the authentication UI is changedto information in which a user is interested;

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example change in thedisplay of an authentication UI, where the authentication UI aregradually changed by changing a plurality of display parameters for theauthentication UI;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing another example authentication processaccording to the embodiment, where iris authentication is performed eachtime the display of an authentication UI is changed;

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing example configurations A-C ofan authentication system according to the embodiment;

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing example configurations D and Eof an authentication system according to the embodiment; and

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration ofan information processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to the appended drawings. Note that,in this specification and the appended drawings, structural elementsthat have substantially the same function and structure are denoted withthe same reference numerals, and repeated explanation of thesestructural elements is omitted.

Note that the description will be given in the following order.

1. Overview of Change in UI Display in Iris Authentication

2. Configuration of Authentication System

3. Iris Authentication Process

4. Variations of Iris Authentication Process

5. Example Configurations of Authentication System

6. Example Hardware Configuration

7. Summary

<1. Overview of Change in UI Display in Iris Authentication>

Firstly, changes in UI display in iris authentication according to anembodiment of the present disclosure will be outlined with reference toFIG. 1. Note that FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for outlining changesin UI display in iris authentication according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Iris authentication is a technique of identifying an individual usingthe annular pattern of the iris, which surrounds the pupil of the eye.As shown in FIG. 1, the pupil has a larger pupil diameter in a darkenvironment, and a smaller pupil diameter in a light environment. Thepupil diameter typically varies within the range of about 2-8 mm. Thecontraction and expansion of the iris change the pupil diameter toadjust the amount of light entering the eye.

In iris authentication, in order to make it easier to check anauthentication image against a stored image of the iris of each userwhich is previously obtained for iris authentication, it is desirable toobtain an authentication image having a pupil diameter close to thepupil diameter of the stored image. Therefore, in this embodiment, inorder to obtain an authentication image having a pupil diameter close tothe pupil diameter of the stored image, an authentication user interface(UI) is displayed which is used to obtain an authentication image whichis easy to check, during capturing of an image of the iris. For example,in FIG. 1, in the case of a dark environment in which the pupil diameterbecomes large, a brighter authentication UI is displayed so that thepupil diameter becomes smaller to an appropriate size. On the otherhand, in the case of a light environment in which the pupil diameterbecomes small, a darker authentication UI is displayed so that the pupildiameter becomes larger to an appropriate size.

By displaying the authentication UI to control the pupil diameter in theabove manner, authentication images corresponding to various iris sizesor various directions of the line of sight can be obtained. Theauthentication UI may be any various types of information that can bedisplayed, such as, for example, an image, object, content, etc. Changesin UI display in iris authentication according to this embodiment willnow be described in detail.

<2. Configuration of Authentication System>

Firstly, a configuration of an authentication system 100 which performsiris authentication according to this embodiment will be described withreference to FIG. 2. Note that FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing aconfiguration of the authentication system 100 according to thisembodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the authentication system 100 accordingto this embodiment includes an input unit 110, an information processingapparatus 120, an output unit 130, and an authentication database 140.

The input unit 110 inputs an authentication image which includes theiris of a person to be authenticated to the information processingapparatus 120. The input unit 110 is, for example, an image capturedevice which obtains an authentication image. In this case, the inputunit 110 captures an image of the eye of a person to be authenticated,which includes the iris, and inputs the image as an authentication imageto the information processing apparatus 120. The input unit 110 may alsobe an image database which stores a previously obtained authenticationimage, and inputs the stored authentication image to the informationprocessing apparatus 120. The authentication image input from the inputunit 110 to the information processing apparatus 120 is an image whichis captured using visible light or infrared light as illumination.

The information processing apparatus 120 has an authentication functionof checking an authentication image against the stored image previouslyobtained, and a display control function of causing the output unit 130to display the authentication UI when an authentication image isobtained. Although the information processing apparatus 120 according tothis embodiment has these two functions, the present technology is notlimited to this example, and the authentication function and the displaycontrol function may be provided in different apparatuses. As shown inFIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 120 according to thisembodiment includes an image processing unit 122, an authentication unit124, and a display control unit 126.

The image processing unit 122 performs the process of extracting a pupiland an iris from an authentication image received from the input unit110. For example, the image processing unit 122 specifies the black part(i.e., the pupil) and white part of an eye included in an authenticationimage, and specifies the iris based on a boundary portion of the pupiland an inner boundary portion of the white part of the eye.

The authentication unit 124 is an authentication function unit whichperforms the process of checking an authentication image against thestored image. The authentication unit 124 performs a matching process onan iris included in an authentication image, that has been specified bythe image processing unit 122, using the image of an iris stored in theauthentication database 140. This iris authentication process may, forexample, be performed using Daugman's iris authentication algorithmdescribed in “New Methods in Iris Recognition,” IEEE TRANSACTIONS ONSYSTEMS, MAN, AND CYBERNETICS-PART B: CYBERNETICS, VOL. 37, NO. 5,OCTOBER 2007, p 1167-1175.

The display control unit 126 controls displaying of a screen whichprompts a person to be authenticated to undergo iris authentication.During iris authentication, the display control unit 126 notifies theperson to be authenticated that authentication is being performed, usingthe authentication UI, and changes the authentication UI to improve theaccuracy of iris authentication. Note that the control of displaying ofthe authentication UI by the display control unit 126 will be describedin detail below.

The authentication UI is displayed on the output unit 130 under thecontrol of the display control unit 126. Examples of the output unit 130include a display device installed separately, a display unit of asmartphone, tablet terminal, eyewear terminal, etc., and the like. Theoutput unit 130 is a screen which is viewed by a person to beauthenticated. Note that the display unit of an eyewear terminal maycover either or both of the eyes. The eyewear terminal may be either ofthe non-transparent type which completely covers the eye or of thetransparent type which allows the user to recognize externalinformation. In the authentication system 100 according to thisembodiment, an authentication image is obtained while a person to beauthenticated is viewing the authentication UI displayed on the outputunit 130.

The authentication database 140 stores an image of the iris of each userwhich is previously captured and obtained. The stored image includes theiris of at least one of the eyes of a user. The image stored in theauthentication database 140 is referenced by the authentication unit 124when the iris authentication process is performed on an authenticationimage.

<3. Iris Authentication Process>

Next, an example iris authentication process according to thisembodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3-11. FIG. 3 is aflowchart showing an example authentication process according to thisembodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an exampleauthentication UI 210. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process ofchanging the display of the authentication UI. FIGS. 6-12 areexplanatory diagrams showing example changes in the display of theauthentication UI.

[S100: Displaying Authentication UI]

The iris authentication process according to this embodiment is startedaccording to an instruction to start the iris authentication process.The authentication system 100 is, for example, notified of theinstruction to start the iris authentication process at a timing whenthe identification of an individual user is required. Specifically, forexample, the authentication system 100 is notified of the instruction tostart the iris authentication process at a timing, such as when awearable terminal such as an eyewear terminal, etc., is worn by a user,when a user using a terminal such as a smartphone, etc., requests aservice which requires authentication, etc.

As shown in FIG. 3, the display control unit 126, when notified of theinstruction to start the iris authentication process, initially causesthe output unit 130 to display the authentication UI 210 (S100). Theauthentication UI 210 is displayed in order to notify a user that theiris authentication process is being performed. For example, as shown inFIG. 4, the authentication UI 210 is displayed in the vicinity of thecenter of a display area 200 of the output unit 130 while, for example,being superimposed on information which has been displayed before thestart of the iris authentication process.

Note that, in step S100, at least the authentication UI 210 may bedisplayed in the display area 200. In other words, only theauthentication UI 210 may be displayed in the display area 200, or forexample, information which has been viewed by a user before displayingof the authentication UI 210 may be displayed in the background.Examples of the information which has been viewed by a user include atelevision program in a case where the output unit 130 is a television,content displayed in an activated browser in a case where the outputunit 130 is a smartphone, information which is viewed through a displaypanel in a case where the output unit 130 is a see-through eyewearterminal, etc.

Also, the size of the iris of a user can be controlled by displaying theauthentication UI 210. When the authentication UI 210 is displayed, auser is easily prompted to view the authentication UI 210 in response toa change in display on the output unit 130. Therefore, when theauthentication UI 210 is displayed, an image of the eye can be capturedwhile the eye aims for the authentication UI 210 displayed, andtherefore, the size of the iris in the captured image can be caused tobe closer to a desired size (e.g., the size of an iris in a storedimage).

Specifically, the settings of the authentication UI 210 which isinitially presented to a user may be determined, taking intoconsideration, for example, the position, luminance value, display size,etc. The authentication UI 210 may be displayed at a position which isdetermined based on the default settings, such as the center of thedisplay area 200, a central visual field specified by the process ofestimating the line of sight of a user, etc. Alternatively, theauthentication UI 210 may be displayed at a position having a highsuccess rate of authentication based on history information of a userstored in the information processing apparatus 120.

The initial luminance value and display size of the authentication UI210 may be determined by referencing previously calculated displayparameter settings optimum to iris authentication based on a luminancevalue estimated based on ambient light. A relationship between displaysizes and estimated luminance values of the authentication UI 210 ispreviously set based on a collection of average sizes with respect torespective luminance values.

Although, in the example of FIG. 4, the authentication UI 210 isdisplayed in the vicinity of the center of the display area 200, thepresent technology is not limited to this example. For example, theposition where the authentication UI 210 is initially displayed may bedetermined based on a relationship in position between the eye of a userand the output unit 130, the direction of the line of sight of a user,etc.

[S110: Obtaining Authentication Image]

Next, an image of the eye of a person to be authenticated is captured asan authentication image (S110). In step S110, the authentication imageis obtained by an image capture device which is installed at a positionwhere the image capture device can capture an image of the eye of aperson to be authenticated. The image capture device may be the inputunit 110 or may be provided separately from the input unit 110. Theauthentication image may be obtained for only either or both of theeyes. If the authentication image is obtained for both of the eyes,authentication accuracy can be increased. The captured authenticationimage is input from the input unit 110 to the image processing unit 122.

[S120: Determining Whether or not Authentication Image has beenObtained]

The image processing unit 122 which has received an authentication imageextracts an iris from the authentication image. Here, in thisembodiment, in order to reliably perform iris authentication, aplurality of authentication images having different pupil sizes (i.e.,iris sizes) are obtained before the iris authentication process isperformed. By obtaining such different authentication images, at leastone of the obtained authentication images may have a pupil size closerto that of the stored image. Therefore, the possibility that anauthentication image should be obtained again is reduced, leading tostable authentication accuracy.

The number of authentication images obtained may be suitably set. Forexample, several authentication images of the pupil having a size of 2-8mm may be obtained. Alternatively, the number of authentication imagesobtained may be set based on the time during which the display of theauthentication UI 210 is changed as described below.

Also, in this embodiment, it is assumed that obtaining an authenticationimage includes determining whether or not an image of an iris which canbe used for authentication by the image processing unit 122 has beenobtained. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation that none ofa predetermined number of authentication images obtained can be used forauthentication. Note that the present technology is not limited to theabove example. When it is desirable to increase the speed at which theentire iris authentication process is performed, a predetermined numberof authentication images may be obtained by changing the authenticationUI before iris extraction, iris authentication, etc.

After extracting an iris from an authentication image, the imageprocessing unit 122 determines whether or not the number ofauthentication images which have been obtained has reached thepredetermined value (S120). If, in step S120, it is determined that thenumber of authentication images which have been obtained is smaller thanthe predetermined value, the display control unit 126 starts the processof changing the display of the authentication UI 210 (S130).

[S130: Changing Display of Authentication UI]

In step S130, the display control unit 126 changes the display of theauthentication UI 210 to change the size of the pupil of a user in orderto obtain the predetermined number of authentication images of the pupilhaving different sizes. In this process, as shown in FIG. 5, the size ofthe pupil in an authentication image which has already been obtained isobtained (S131). The display of the authentication UI 210 is changed inorder to increase the number of sizes of the pupil in authenticationimages. Therefore, by performing the process of step S131 to check anauthentication image and pupil size which have already been obtained, anauthentication image of the pupil having the same size is not obtained.

Next, for an authentication image which has already been obtained, thedisplay control unit 126 obtains the brightness of the environment asthe authentication image was obtained (S133). As described above, thepupil diameter varies depending on the brightness of the environment.Therefore, the brightness of the environment as the authentication imagewas obtained can be used as information which is used to set theauthentication UI 210 for capturing an image of the pupil having a sizewhich has not been obtained.

After obtaining the pupil size of an authentication image which hasalready been obtained and the brightness of the environment as theauthentication image was obtained, the display control unit 126determines a new value of a display parameter of the authentication UI210 based on at least one of these items of information (S135). Here,the display parameter is a parameter which is set in order to change theauthentication UI 210, such as, for example, the brightness, the way itis moved, the size, etc. of the authentication UI 210. The displayparameter, and changes in pupil size depending on the settings of thedisplay parameter, will now be described.

(A. Brightness)

The pupil size of a user can be adjusted by changing the brightness ofthe authentication UI. For example, when an authentication image isobtained in a dark environment, then if the authentication UI having ahigh luminance is displayed on the output unit 130, the pupil size canbe decreased. On the other hand, when an authentication image isobtained in a light environment, then if the authentication UI having alow luminance is displayed, the pupil size can be increased. Thus, thepupil size obtained can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing adisplay parameter related to the “brightness” of the authentication UI.

(B. Depth)

The pupil size of a user can also be adjusted by changing the depth ofauthentication UI. It is known that the pupil diameter is changed by thefocus adjustment function of the eye which is performed during thesimultaneous inward movement of both eyes (convergence). Because ofthis, the pupil diameter can be changed by changing the position in thedepth direction where the authentication UI is displayed. For example,as shown in FIG. 6, the display position in the depth direction ischanged from the position having a depth of 3 m (or more) where anauthentication UI 220 is displayed to the position having a depth of 1.5m where an authentication UI 222 is displayed. As a result, theauthentication UI 222 is displayed closer to a user, and therefore, thepupils of both eyes move inward, so that the pupils become smaller.Thus, the pupil diameter can be changed by changing the position in thedepth direction where the authentication UI is displayed.

(C. Changing Shape)

The pupil size of a user can also be adjusted by changing the shape ofthe authentication UI. For example, as shown in an upper portion of FIG.7, it is assumed that an object 230 a is being displayed as theauthentication UI in the display area 200 of the output unit 130. Aftera predetermined period of time has elapsed, the display control unit 126expands a portion of the circular object 230 a to change the shape witha motion which makes it seem that a generally quadrangular object isgenerated from the circle, thereby displaying an object 230 b which hasa different shape as shown in a lower portion of FIG. 7. If a user paysattention to this change in the shape of the object, the pupil diameteris changed according to the change in the shape of the object 230.

The change in the shape of the authentication UI may, for example, beachieved by changing an object 232 from a quadrangle (object 232 a) to astar shape (object 232 e) by morphing as shown in FIG. 8. At this time,the color of the object 232 may be changed in addition to the shape,whereby a user's attention can be more reliably attracted. The use ofsuch animation in the authentication UI causes a user to pay attentionto the object 232, so that the pupil diameter can be changed accordingto a change in the shape of the object 232.

(D. Movement) The pupil size of a user may also be adjusted by movingthe authentication UI. When the eye is following a moving object, thefocus adjustment function is performed with respect to the movingobject, so that the pupil diameter is involuntarily changed to a largeror smaller size. For example, as shown in an upper portion of FIG. 9, itis assumed that an object 240 a is displayed as the authentication UI inthe display area 200 of the output unit 130. After a predeterminedperiod of time has elapsed, the display control unit 126 moves theobject 240 a which has been displayed in an upper-left portion of thedisplay area 200 to a right portion of the display area 200 while thesize of the object 240 a is gradually decreased, as shown in a lowerportion of FIG. 9. Thus, the pupil diameter of a user can be changed bymoving the object 240 in the display area 200 so that the eye is causedto follow the object 240.

Note that moving the authentication UI is effective when the eye of auser is not open wide enough, and therefore, an image of the iris whichallows for authentication cannot be obtained. For example, as shown inan upper portion of FIG. 10, it is assumed that when an object 210 a isdisplayed in a lower central portion of the display area 200 of theoutput unit 130, an image of the iris which allows for authenticationhas failed to be obtained. In this case, the display control unit 126moves the authentication UI to induce the eye of the user to open wider.Specifically, as shown in a lower portion of FIG. 10, the object 210 ais moved upward, so that an object 210 b is displayed. As a result, theuser raises their line of sight, following the object 210 moving upward,and therefore, the eye can be opened wider.

(E. Displaying Image Attracting Attention)

The pupil size of a user can also be adjusted by changing contentdisplayed on the authentication UI. For example, it is empirically knownthat when an image in which a user is interested is displayed in thedisplay area 200, the pupil diameter becomes wider than when otherimages are displayed. Because of this characteristic, the pupil diametercan be controlled by using an image in which a user is interested as theauthentication UI.

For example, as shown in an upper portion of FIG. 11, it is assumed thatan object 220 is displayed as the authentication UI in a right portionof the display area 200. After a predetermined period of time haselapsed, the display control unit 126 switches content displayed in theauthentication UI from the object 220 displayed in the right portion ofthe display area 200 to a weather information object 250 in which a useris interested, as shown in a lower portion of FIG. 11. As a result, theuser pays attention to the attracting weather information object 250, sothat the pupil becomes larger than when the object 220 is displayed.

Note that an image in which a user is interested is used as theauthentication UI, information in which the user is interested ispreviously obtained. The information in which a user is interested may,for example, be previously set by the user, or may be specified bymanaging a history, such as a television program or content which theuser has frequently viewed, an application which the user has frequentlyused, etc.

Note that the above display parameters are merely illustrative, and theauthentication UI may be changed using other display parameters. Thenumber of display parameters of the authentication UI which are changedis not limited to one, and a plurality of display parameters may besimultaneously changed, or a plurality of parameters may be suitablycombined and sequentially changed to change the authentication UI.

FIG. 12 shows an example display in which the authentication UI issequentially changed by changing a plurality of display parameters. Asshown in an upper-left portion of FIG. 12, for example, it is assumedthat a white circular object 260 a is displayed as the authentication UIin the vicinity of the center of the display area 200. The object 260 ais a bright display having a high luminance value. The display controlunit 126 changes the object 260 a with time. For example, firstly, aregion having a different color is gradually increased, extending froman outer circumferential side of the white circular object 260 a to thecenter of the circle. The different color of the region is assumed to bedarker than white. The region is increased to an object 260 b and thenan object 260 c in a sequence, so that the luminance value of the entireobject which is viewed by a user decreases, resulting in a dark display.

Thus, the pupil diameter of a user can be changed by changing theluminance of the objects 260 a-260 c. The shape of the object 260 isalso changed, which can attract the attention of a user, and therefore,the line of sight of a user can be kept directed to the object 260.Therefore, a generally true-circular pupil with which it is easy toperform iris authentication can be stably obtained.

Moreover, after the object 260 c has been displayed, the display controlunit 126 displays an object 260 d having the same shape and a reducedsize compared to the object 260 c. The change in size of the object 260can also change the pupil size.

The display control unit 126 also changes the size of the object 260 dback to the original size, and thereafter, displays annular objects 260e and 260 f. The objects 260 e and 260 f are, for example,circumferentially sectioned at random. The display control unit 126controls the display colors of regions obtained by the sectioning of theobjects 260 e and 260 f so that at least a portion of the regions have adifferent color. In this case, for example, the display control unit 126uses many light colors in the object 260 e to provide an entirely lightdisplay, and gradually decreases the luminance value and the number ofcolors, and eventually provides an entirely dark display in the object260 f. Thus, the pupil diameter can be changed by changing thebrightness of the objects 260 e and 260 f.

By gradually changing the display of the object 260 which is theauthentication UI as shown in FIG. 12, the size of the pupil diameter ofa user viewing the object 260 can be controlled, and meanwhile, aplurality of authentication images having different pupil sizes can beobtained. Changes in the object 260 during this process are set byrepeatedly performing the process of FIG. 5 until a predetermined numberof authentication images have been obtained. Therefore, the period oftime during which the authentication UI is displayed is set to a periodof time during which the predetermined number of authentication imagescan be obtained. However, for example, the predetermined number ofauthentication images may be obtained for only about several seconds insome cases. In this case, a user only needs to view the object 260,leading to a decrease in burden on the user during authentication.

[S140: Iris Authentication]

Referring back to FIG. 3, if, in step S120, the predetermined number ofauthentication images have been obtained, the authentication unit 124performs an iris authentication process based on the authenticationimages (S140). The authentication unit 124 performs a matching processon irises in the authentication images specified by the image processingunit 122 using the iris image stored in the authentication database 140.In the iris authentication of step S140, the process may be ended at thetime when any one of the authentication images obtained in step S110,that matches a stored image, is found.

The authentication unit 124, when the iris authentication process hasbeen completed, performs a predetermined process, depending on whetheror not the identification of an individual has been successful. Forexample, if the identification of an individual has been successful, theexecution of a process requested by the user (e.g., accessing a websitewhich only a specific user is allowed to browse, etc.) is started. Onthe other hand, if the identification of an individual has failed, theuser is notified of a message indicating the failure of theauthentication, or is prompted to register, for example.

The iris authentication process according to this embodiment has beendescribed above. According to this embodiment, when an authenticationimage for iris authentication is obtained, the authentication UI isdisplayed to obtain images having different pupil diameters. The displaycontrol unit 126 changes the display of the authentication UI bychanging a display parameter(s) of the authentication UI, such as thebrightness, shape, motion, etc., depending on the brightness of theenvironment in which the images are captured. As a result, irisauthentication can be performed without requiring a user to perform anexplicit operation.

Also, because a plurality of authentication images are obtained, asituation that the iris authentication process cannot be performed dueto image blur caused by shaking or eye movement during image capture,can be reduced or prevented. Also, because a plurality of images havingdifferent pupil diameters are obtained, the accuracy of irisauthentication can be increased.

<4. Variations of Iris Authentication Process>

In the iris authentication process described with reference to FIG. 3, aplurality of authentication images having different pupil diameters arepreviously obtained, and thereafter, iris authentication is performedusing all of the authentication images. The present technology is notlimited to this example. For example, each time the authentication UI ischanged, iris authentication may be performed using an obtainedauthentication image.

FIG. 13 shows an example process of performing iris authentication usingan obtained authentication image each time the authentication UI ischanged. In this process, while some authentication UIs are sequentiallydisplayed, iris authentication is performed each time an authenticationUI is displayed. The authentication process is ended at the time whenthe authentication has been successful. Note that, in FIG. 13, theprocess of obtaining an authentication image and the process of changingthe display of the authentication UI are similar to the processes ofsteps S110 and S130, respectively, of FIG. 3. Here, these processes willnot be described in detail.

For example, firstly, as shown in FIG. 13, authentication images areobtained by changing the brightness (i.e., the luminance value) of theauthentication UI, and iris authentications are performed using theobtained authentication images (S200). When the image processing unit122 has extracted an iris from an authentication image received from theinput unit 110, the authentication unit 124 performs a matching processon the iris and the image stored in the authentication database 140. If,as a result, the authentication has been successful (YES in S210), it isdetermined that the identification of an individual has been successful,and the execution of a process requested by the user (e.g., accessing awebsite which only a specific user is allowed to browse, etc.) isstarted (S280).

On the other hand, if, in step S210, the authentication has not beensuccessful, the display control unit 126 changes the authentication UI.For example, the shape of the authentication UI is changed (S220). Inthis case, the display control unit 126 performs a control to change theshape of the authentication UI according to the process of FIG. 5 inorder to obtain an authentication image having a pupil diameterdifferent from that which has been obtained in step S200. Thereafter,the image processing unit 122 extracts an iris from the authenticationimage which has been obtained using the authentication UI having achanged shape, and the authentication unit 124 performs a matchingprocess on the iris and the image stored in the authentication database140. If, as a result, the authentication has been successful (YES inS230), it is determined that the identification of an individual hasbeen successful, and the execution of a process requested by the user isstarted (S280).

On the other hand, if, in step S230, the authentication has not beensuccessful, the display control unit 126 changes the authentication UI.For example, the color of the authentication UI is changed (S240). Thedisplay control unit 126 performs a control to change the color of theauthentication UI according to the process of FIG. 5 in order to obtainan authentication image having a pupil diameter different from thosewhich have been obtained in steps S200 and S220. Thereafter, the imageprocessing unit 122 extracts an iris from an authentication image whichhas been obtained using the authentication UI having a changed color,and the authentication unit 124 performs a matching process on the irisand the image stored in the authentication database 140. If, as aresult, the authentication has been successful (YES in S250), it isdetermined that the identification of an individual has been successful,and the execution of a process requested by the user is started (S280).

On the other hand, if, in step S250, the authentication has not beensuccessful, the display control unit 126 changes the authentication UI.For example, the motion of the authentication UI is changed (S260). Inthis case, the display control unit 126 performs a control to change theshape of the authentication UI according to the process of FIG. 5 inorder to obtain an authentication image having a pupil diameterdifferent from those which have been obtained in steps S200, S220, andS240. Thereafter, the image processing unit 122 extracts an iris fromthe authentication image which has been obtained using theauthentication UI having a changed motion, and the authentication unit124 performs a matching process on the iris and the image stored in theauthentication database 140. If, as a result, the authentication hasbeen successful (YES in S270), it is determined that the identificationof an individual has been successful, and the execution of a processrequested by the user is started (S280).

On the other hand, if, in step S270, the authentication has not beensuccessful, the user is notified that the identification of anindividual has failed (S290). In this case, for example, the user may benotified of a message indicating the failure of the authentication, oris prompted to register, for example.

Thus, iris authentication is performed each time the authentication UIis changed, whereby when the authentication has failed, anauthentication image having a different pupil diameter is obtained andthe iris authentication process is performed again, resulting in anincrease in authentication accuracy. Also, the authentication UI ischanged, taking into consideration the brightness of the environment asthe authentication failed, the size of an iris in the authenticationimage at that time, etc., whereby an image with which it is easier toperform authentication can be obtained.

<5. Example Configurations of Authentication System>

Example configurations of the authentication system 100 described abovewill now be described. FIGS. 14 and 15 show example configurations ofthe authentication system 100.

Firstly, as shown as a configuration A in FIG. 14, the authenticationsystem 100 may be implemented using only an apparatus used by a user,such as a smartphone 2, a wearable terminal (e.g., an eyewear terminal8), etc. In this case, the individual apparatus includes an imaging unit(input unit) which captures an image of the eye of a user. Aninformation processing apparatus provided in the individual apparatusperforms an authentication process using an authentication imageobtained by the imaging unit. When an authentication image is obtained,the authentication UI is displayed on a display unit of the individualapparatus.

Also, as shown as a configuration B in FIG. 14, the authenticationsystem 100 may be implemented using an apparatus, such as a smartphone2, a wearable terminal (e.g., an eyewear terminal 8), etc., and anauthentication server 4 which includes an authentication database whichstores an image used for iris authentication, where the individualapparatus and the authentication server 4 are connected together througha network. In this case, the individual apparatus includes an imagingunit (input unit) which captures an image of the eye of a user. Aninformation processing apparatus provided in the individual apparatusperforms an authentication process using an authentication imageobtained by the imaging unit. During the iris authentication process,the individual apparatus obtains a stored image from the authenticationserver 4 through the network 10. When a stored image is obtained fromthe authentication server 4, the stored image may be encrypted. When anauthentication image is obtained, the authentication UI is displayed ona display unit of the individual apparatus.

Also, as shown as a configuration C in FIG. 14, the authenticationsystem 100 may be implemented using an apparatus, such as a smartphone2, a wearable terminal (e.g., an eyewear terminal 8), etc., anauthentication server 4, and an information processing apparatus 6 whichperforms an authentication process, where the apparatus, theauthentication server 4, and the information processing apparatus 6 areconnected together through a network. In this case, the individualapparatus includes an imaging unit (input unit) which captures an imageof the eye of a user. Authentication images obtained by the imaging unitare output to the information processing apparatus 6 through the network10. When an authentication image is obtained, the authentication UI isdisplayed on a display unit of the individual apparatus.

The information processing apparatus 6 extracts an iris from anauthentication image received from the individual apparatus, andperforms an authentication process by referencing an image stored in theauthentication server 4. The information processing apparatus 6 alsodetermines a display parameter for changing the authentication UIdisplayed on a display unit of the individual apparatus based on thebrightness of the environment in which the authentication image has beenobtained, the pupil diameter of the obtained authentication image, etc.,and outputs the display parameter to the individual apparatus. Note thatinformation exchanged through the network 10 is preferably encrypted.

Also, as shown as a configuration D in FIG. 15, the authenticationsystem 100 may be implemented using a smartphone 2, a wearable terminal(e.g., an eyewear terminal 8), and an authentication server 4 whichincludes an authentication database which stores an image used for irisauthentication, where the smartphone 2, the wearable terminal, and theauthentication server 4 are connected together through a network. Inthis case, for example, an imaging unit (input unit) is provided in theeyewear terminal 8, and the smartphone 2 which has the functionality ofthe information processing apparatus 120 of FIG. 2 performs the irisauthentication process. During the iris authentication process, thesmartphone 2 obtains a stored image from the authentication server 4through the network 10.

When an authentication image is obtained, the authentication UI isdisplayed on a display unit of the eyewear terminal 8. The informationprocessing apparatus of the smartphone 2 determines a display parameterfor changing the authentication UI displayed on the display unit of theeyewear terminal 8 based on the brightness of the environment in whichthe authentication image has been obtained, the pupil diameter of theobtained authentication image, etc., and outputs the display parameterto the eyewear terminal 8. Note that information exchanged through thenetwork 10 is preferably encrypted.

Also, as shown as a configuration E in FIG. 15, the authenticationsystem 100 may be implemented using a smartphone 2 and a wearableterminal (e.g., an eyewear terminal 8), where the smartphone 2 and thewearable terminal are connected together through a network. Theconfiguration E is the same as the configuration D, except that thefunctionality of the authentication server 4 of the configuration D isprovided in the smartphone 2. Specifically, the eyewear terminal 8includes an imaging unit (input unit), and the smartphone 2 which hasthe functionalities of the information processing apparatus 120 and theauthentication database 140 of FIG. 2 performs the iris authenticationprocess. Information exchanged through the network 10 is preferablyencrypted.

The authentication system 100 may have various other configurations inaddition to the above configurations A-E. The authentication system 100may also be applied to, for example, an electronic viewfinder (EVF) of acamera, an iris authentication apparatus mounted in a car, etc., inaddition the smartphone 2, the wearable terminal such as the eyewearterminal 8, etc., described above.

When the above iris authentication process is, for example, applied tothe eyewear terminal 8, the iris authentication process may be caused tostart with detection of the act of putting on the eyewear terminal 8itself. Also, in the case of the EVF of a camera, etc., the irisauthentication process may be caused to be start with obtaining of animage of an eye using a user's act of looking through the EVF. In thiscase, when the identification of an individual has been successful, thesettings of the camera may be automatically adjusted based oninformation which has been previously set by the identified user, forexample.

In the case of the smartphone 2, etc., the iris authentication processmay be caused to start with obtaining of an image of an eye using abuilt-in camera of the smartphone 2 at the timing when the smartphone 2is unlocked. In the case of an iris authentication apparatus mounted ina vehicle, the iris authentication process may be performed withobtaining an image of an eye at the timing when a user sits on thedriver's seat, for example. In this case, when the identification of anindividual has been successful, the settings, such as the height,fore-and-aft direction, etc., of the seat may be automatically adjustedbased on information which has been previously set by the identifieduser, for example.

<6. Hardware Configuration Example>

The processing by the information processing apparatus 120 according tothe aforementioned embodiment can be executed by using hardware orsoftware. In this case, the information processing apparatus 120 can beconfigured as illustrated in FIG. 16. Hereinafter, an example of ahardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 120 willbe described based on FIG. 16.

The information processing apparatus 120 can be implemented by aprocessing apparatus such as a computer, as described above. Asillustrated in FIG. 16, the information processing apparatus 120includes a central processing unit (CPU) 901, a read only memory (ROM)902, a random access memory (RAM) 903, and a host bus 904 a. Theinformation processing apparatus 120 also includes a bridge 904, anexternal bus 904 b, an interface 905, an input device 906, an outputdevice 907, a storage device (hard disk drive) 908, a drive 909, aconnection port 911, and a communication device 913.

The CPU 901 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a controlunit, and controls overall operation of the information processingapparatus 120 according to a variety of programs. The CPU 901 may alsobe a microprocessor. The ROM 902 stores therein the programs,operational parameters, and the like that are used by the CPU 901. TheRAM 903 temporarily stores therein the programs used and executed by theCPU 901, parameters appropriately varying in executing the programs, andthe like. These are connected to each other through the host bus 904 aconfigured of a CPU bus or the like.

The host bus 904 a is connected to the external bus 904 b such as aperipheral component interconnect/interface (PCI) bus through the bridge904. Note that the host bus 904 a, the bridge 904, and the external bus904 b do not have to be configured separately, and functions of thesemay be implemented by a single bus.

The input device 906 includes: an input unit for inputting informationby a user, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, buttons, amicrophone, a switch, or a lever; an input control circuit generatinginput signals based on input by the user and outputting the signals tothe CPU 901; and the like. The output device 907 includes: a displaydevice such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, an organic lightemitting diode (OLED) device, or a lamp; and an audio output device suchas a speaker.

The storage device 908 is an example of a storage unit of theinformation processing apparatus 120 and is a device for storing data.The storage device 908 may include a storage medium, a recorder thatrecords data in the storage medium, a reader that reads data from thestorage medium, a deletion device that deletes data recorded in thestorage medium, and the like. The storage device 908 is configured of,for example, a hard disk drive (HDD). The storage device 908 drives ahard disk and stores programs executed by the CPU 901 and a variety ofdata.

The drive 909 is a reader/writer and is built in or externally connectedto the information processing apparatus 120. The drive 909 readsinformation recorded in the removable recording medium loaded in thedrive 909 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-opticaldisk, or a semiconductor memory, and outputs the information to the RAM903.

The connection port 911 is an interface connected to an external device,and is a port of connection with the external device capable oftransferring data through, for example, a universal serial bus (USB).The communication device 913 is a communication interface configured ofa communication device or the like for connecting to, for example, thecommunication network 10. The communication device 913 may be acommunication device supporting a wireless local area network (LAN), acommunication device supporting a wireless USB, or a wired communicationdevice that performs wired communication.

<7. Summary>

The configuration and iris authentication process of the authenticationsystem 100 according to this embodiment have been described above. Inthe present technology, the pupil diameter (i.e., the size of the iris)of an authentication image used for authentication in irisauthentication is controlled by changing the authentication UI,resulting in an increase in the accuracy of iris authentication andstable recognition. In other words, the accuracy of iris authenticationcan be improved by changing the display of the authentication UI,irrespective of the environment in which iris authentication isperformed, at any time and in any environment. Therefore, an irisauthentication process which is robust against a change in externalenvironment and a change in illumination conditions, can be provided.

A plurality of authentication images are obtained by changing thedisplay of the authentication UI. Therefore, even if one authenticationimage having a blurred image of an eye has been obtained, theauthentication process can be performed using another authenticationimage, resulting in an increase in authentication accuracy. As a result,errors in authentication can be reduced, and therefore, a system towhich a user is securely authenticated to log in can be provided.

The pupil diameter is changed using the authentication UI. Therefore,the authentication process can be performed without the need of anadditional particular device and without causing a user to perform anarbitrary operation. The authentication UI is automatically changed,depending on the brightness of the environment or a previously obtainedauthentication image. Therefore, for example, even when a user is tiredand their pupil in an obtained authentication image is small, thedisplay control unit 126 changes the display of the authentication UI sothat the pupil diameter of the user becomes larger, and therefore, theauthentication process can be completed without the user's knowledge.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occurdepending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they arewithin the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

For example, the security level required by the authentication processvaries depending on what is approved. For example, the security levelrequired for social networking services (SNSs) or online shopping ishigher than the security level required for logging in to a terminal,accessing shared information, etc. Also, a still higher security levelis required for medical data.

Therefore, when the iris authentication process is performed, thesecurity level may be set based on what is approved. For example, aftera user has logged in to a smartphone, the security level is changed to alevel higher than the security level which is used for logging in. As aresult, when online shopping is performed using the smartphone, theauthentication process is performed at a higher security level, wherebythe safety can be maintained.

In addition, the effects described in the present specification aremerely illustrative and demonstrative, and not limitative. In otherwords, the technology according to the present disclosure can exhibitother effects that are evident to those skilled in the art along with orinstead of the effects based on the present specification.

Additionally, the present technology may also be configured as below.

(1) An information processing apparatus including:

a display control unit configured to, when an authentication imageincluding an iris of an eye of a user is obtained, cause a display unitto display an authentication UI for obtaining an authentication imagewith which it is easy to perform iris authentication.

(2) The information processing apparatus according to (1), wherein

the display control unit changes a display of the authentication UIbased on at least one of a brightness of an environment at a time ofobtaining an authentication image or a size of a pupil in the obtainedauthentication image.

(3) The information processing apparatus according to (1) or (2),wherein

the display control unit changes a size of the authentication UI.

(4) The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to(3), wherein

the display control unit changes a brightness of the authentication UI.

(5) The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to(4), wherein

the display control unit changes a display position of theauthentication UI.

(6) The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to(5), wherein

the display control unit moves the authentication UI upward in a displayarea.

(7) The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to(6), wherein

the display control unit changes a display of the authentication UI toshow content in which the user is interested.

(8) The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to(7), further including:

an image processing unit configured to specify a pupil in theauthentication image to obtain an iris; and

an authentication unit configured to perform iris authentication usingthe obtained iris of the authentication image.

(9) The information processing apparatus according to (8), wherein

the authentication unit performs iris authentication by referencing anauthentication storage unit configured to store a previously obtainedimage of the iris of the user and thereby performing a matching processon the stored image and the authentication image.

(10) An eyewear terminal including:

an imaging unit configured to obtain an authentication image includingan iris of an eye of a user;

a display unit configured to cover at least one of eyes of a user; and

a display control unit configured to, when the authentication image isobtained, cause the display unit to display an authentication UI forobtaining an authentication image with which it is easy to perform irisauthentication.

(11) The eyewear terminal according to (10), wherein

when the eyewear terminal is worn by the user, the display control unitcauses the display unit to display the authentication UI.

(12) An information processing method including:

causing, by a display control unit, when an authentication imageincluding an iris of an eye of a user is obtained, a display unit todisplay an authentication UI for obtaining an authentication image withwhich it is easy to perform iris authentication.

(13) The information processing method according to (12), furtherincluding:

obtaining an authentication image including an iris of an eye of a userusing an imaging unit; and

performing iris authentication based on the obtained iris using anauthentication unit.

(14) The information processing method according to (13), furtherincluding:

obtaining a plurality of authentication images including irises havingdifferent sizes.

(15) An authentication system including:

a device including

-   -   an imaging unit configured to obtain an authentication image        including an iris of an eye of a user, and    -   a display unit configured to cover at least one of eyes of the        user; and

an information processing apparatus including

-   -   an authentication unit configured to perform iris authentication        using the obtained iris of the authentication image, and    -   a display control unit configured to, when the authentication        image is obtained, cause the display unit of the device to        display an authentication UI for obtaining an authentication        image with which it is easy to perform iris authentication.

What is claimed is:
 1. An information processing apparatus comprising:circuitry configured to: when a first authentication image including aniris of an eye of a user is obtained, display an object on a displayscreen to perform iris authentication; measure a size of a pupil in theeye of the obtained first authentication image; change a shape of theobject displayed on the display screen and obtain a secondauthentication image based on a measured brightness of an environment ata time of obtaining the first authentication image and the measured sizeof the pupil in the obtained first authentication image; and perform theiris authentication using at least one of the first authentication imageand the second authentication image according to the user's currentsituation.
 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the circuitry is configured to change a size of the object basedon at least one of the brightness of the environment at the time ofobtaining the first authentication image or the size of the pupil in theobtained first authentication image.
 3. The information processingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured tochange a brightness of the object based on the size of the pupil in theobtained first authentication image.
 4. The information processingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured tochange a display position of the object on the display screen based onat least one of the brightness of the environment at the time ofobtaining the first authentication image or the size of the pupil in theobtained first authentication image.
 5. The information processingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured tomove the object upward in a display area of the display screen based onat least one of the brightness of the environment at the time ofobtaining the first authentication image or the size of the pupil in theobtained first authentication image.
 6. The information processingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured tochange a display of the object to show content in which the user isinterested.
 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim1, wherein the circuitry is configured to: specify a pupil in the firstauthentication image to obtain the iris; and perform said irisauthentication using the obtained iris of the first authenticationimage.
 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7,wherein the circuitry is configured to perform said iris authenticationby referencing a memory that stores a previously obtained image of theiris of the user and by performing a matching process between thepreviously obtained image and the first authentication image.
 9. Theinformation processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thecircuitry is configured to obtain a plurality of authentication imagesuntil a predetermined threshold value is reached.
 10. The informationprocessing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each of the pluralityof authentication images includes a different pupil size of the user.11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, whereinthe circuitry is configured to change a display of the object until thepredetermined threshold value is reached.
 12. The information processingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured tomodify a luminance value of the object based on the brightness of theenvironment.
 13. The information processing apparatus according to claim1, wherein the circuitry is configured to change a color of the objectbased on at least one of the brightness of the environment at the timeof obtaining the first authentication image or the size of the pupil inthe obtained first authentication image.
 14. The information processingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured tochange the shape of the object displayed on the display screen andobtain the second authentication image based on the brightness of theenvironment at the time of obtaining the first authentication image andthe measured size of the pupil in the obtained first authenticationimage.
 15. An eyewear terminal comprising: a display screen configuredto cover an eye of a user; and circuitry configured to: obtain a firstauthentication image including an iris of the eye of the user; when thefirst authentication image is obtained, display an object on the displayscreen to perform iris authentication; measure a size of a pupil in theeye of the obtained first authentication image; change a shape of theobject displayed on the display screen and obtain a secondauthentication image based on a measured brightness of an environment ata time of obtaining the first authentication image and the measured sizeof the pupil in the obtained first authentication image; and perform theiris authentication using at least one of the first authentication imageand the second authentication image according to the user's currentsituation.
 16. The eyewear terminal according to claim 15, wherein whenthe eyewear terminal is worn by the user, the circuitry is configured todisplay the object on the display screen.
 17. An information processingmethod comprising: when a first authentication image including an irisof an eye of a user is obtained, displaying an object on a displayscreen to perform iris authentication; measuring a size of a pupil inthe eye of the obtained first authentication image; changing a shape ofthe object displayed on the display screen and obtaining a secondauthentication image based on of a measured brightness of an environmentat a time of obtaining the first authentication image and the measuredsize of the pupil in the obtained first authentication image; andperforming the iris authentication using at least one of the firstauthentication image and the second authentication image according tothe user's current situation.
 18. The information processing methodaccording to claim 17, further comprising: obtaining the firstauthentication image including the iris of the eye of the user; andperforming said iris authentication based on the obtained iris.
 19. Theinformation processing method according to claim 18, further comprising:obtaining a plurality of authentication images including irises havingdifferent sizes.
 20. An authentication system comprising: a displayscreen configured to cover an eye of a user; and circuitry configuredto: obtain a first authentication image including an iris of the eye ofthe user; perform iris authentication using the obtained iris of thefirst authentication image; when the first authentication image isobtained, display an object on the display screen to perform said irisauthentication; measure a size of a pupil in the obtained firstauthentication image; change a shape of the object displayed on thedisplay screen and obtain a second authentication image based on of ameasured brightness of an environment at a time of obtaining the firstauthentication image and the measured size of the pupil in the obtainedfirst authentication image; and perform the iris authentication using atleast one of the first authentication image and the secondauthentication image according to the user's current situation.